Listen: Karl Wallinger shares early demo of World Party’s classic single ‘Ship of Fools’

World Party mastermind Karl Wallinger has shared an early demo of his band’s 1985 debut single “Ship of Fools,” a sparse composition with different lyrics — most notably the chorus “Sail me all around tomorrow” instead of the familiar refrain of “Save me from tomorrow.”

Going back to about 1984-ish here so put your crash helmets on…..this is the first appearance of what became Ship of Fools….yes it was late at night…….in the very center of a big city……in 1984……(cue a sampled blast of Bowie singing just the phrase “nineteen eighty four-hor!”

The song — which appears on Private Revolution, the former Waterboys member’s 1986 debut as World Party — “kind of went through a couple more mutations… then found its place,” Wallinger writes. “Looking back, it’s easy to think of going different ways, but that’s because we know there is a story.”

As for the change to the chorus, he adds: “The chorus was ‘Sail me round tomorrow’ as in ‘let’s miss that place out and go on to the next island!’ I changed it to Save Me! I liked the impact!”